Lot 2071

Description

Phoenicia, Tyre, (c. 2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (14.18 grams), Jerusalem mint, issued A.D. 13-14, obv. laureate head of to right of the beardless Melqarth, dotted border, rev. eagle to left with closed wings, carrying palm, [standing on prow of ship], club to left, to left PLY (date 139 = A.D.13-4), to right KP over monogram, Phoenician letter between legs, around TYPOY IEPA[S KAI ASYL]OY, (cf.S.5920; cf.BMC 237, Hendin 307). Obverse off centre, struck on small flan, but of full weight, otherwise extremely fine and a rare date.

'Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests and said unto them. What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver'. (Mathew 26, 14-5). Since the silver shekels were initially minted in Tyre and then later in Jerusalem, they became the only accepted currency in the Jerusalem Temple, with a semi-official status. In fact the issue for Jerusalem was probably for this very reason. Historian Michael Grant concludes that payment was made to Judas for his deed, with these coins from Jerusalem. The Jerusalem coins are rarely seen in unworn state but are always unattractive compared to the issues from Tyre.